The latest Major event of the Rainbow Six esports season is displaying impressive growth compared to last year’s tournament in Munich, as per data from Esports Charts.
All key viewership metrics for the BLAST R6 Major Salt Lake City 2026 Group Stage have seen a significant increase ranging from 87% to 140% year over year.
The BLAST R6 Major Salt Lake City 2026 in the United States has now finalized its top eight teams who will battle it out in the Playoffs on May 15-17 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. The main focus leading into the final stage is on whether FaZe Clan can continue their winning streak after their success in February and secure another major title this season.
To delve deeper into viewership insights, users can access comprehensive tournament statistics through the Esports Charts Event Dashboard. By selecting any event and choosing a suitable plan, users can unlock advanced analytics across languages, platforms, teams, and individual channels!
The first Major of the 2026 season has introduced a new competitive format with an expanded number of participating teams to 20. A Play-In stage now precedes the Group Stage, and the Playoffs are structured in a single-elimination format, raising the stakes for every match with no room for error.
During the Group Stage, six matches reached over 100,000 concurrent viewers, with the most-watched match featuring G2 Esports against Virtus.pro, drawing nearly 150,000 peak concurrent viewers as Karl “Alem4o” Zarth’s team secured their spot in the Playoffs.
The overall match data indicates a significant increase in audience engagement compared to the previous event in Munich last November. The current highest-viewed match of the tournament has already surpassed the peak viewership of the previous event by 36.3%, with the Playoffs still to come.
A detailed comparison between the Munich and Salt Lake City Group Stages reveals a significant surge in audience interest. Watch time was 87% higher than the previous year’s event, with all other key metrics showing even stronger growth.
The most notable figure is the 140% increase in Peak Viewers, while Average Viewers, a reliable indicator of audience growth, more than doubled year over year, reflecting sustained engagement throughout the Group Stage.
Various factors have contributed to this growth, including expanded coverage through additional channels and popular co-streamers like Nicholas “Jynxzi” Stewart, who attracted a substantial live viewership during the event.
The official broadcast channels also saw improved performance, with viewer incentives playing a key role. Ubisoft’s extension of the engagement window to unlock exclusive in-game items during the Swiss Stage encouraged longer watch times, aligning with evolving audience behavior.
Moreover, the reward ecosystem has been enhanced with a wider range of cosmetics, attracting more interest in drops and supporting continued viewership during the tournament.
With outstanding audience growth so far, the tournament is surpassing last year’s Major across all metrics. As the Playoffs approach, the viewership gap is expected to widen further.
Esports Charts will continue to monitor the event’s viewership performance and audience trends, providing a comprehensive breakdown and final analysis once the tournament concludes.